Wind-actuated novelty



4 April .17, 19212.. 1 1,666,543

w. P. VINCENT WIND ACTUATED NOVELTY Filed D60. 13. 1926 Invenion- 7' One'object of my invention is to utilize it,

Patented Apr. 17, 1928 I UNITED STAT S PATENT O F V WALTER SP. VINCENT, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

, WIND-ACTUATED NOVELTY.

'A'pplication filed December 13, 1926. Serial No. 154,579.

the weather-vane is a channel-shaped'memher 6 which has bent over ears 6 forming bearings for the hinge-pin 7. A wing 8, with ears 8' engaging the ears 6, is positioned on each side ofthe weather-vane,- these wings further carrying out the idea of the weather-cock design. v

Interjacent the two ears 8 of the wing, and operable overthe hinge-pin 7, is a helical spring 9, one end of which abuts on the wing and the otherend fixed within the channel member 6. This spring providesa very slight tension on the wing, tending to hold it against the body portion of the weather-vane. However, in some cases, more particularly where the wing is heavy or of large surface, this spring may be dispensed with. w 1

It will be'observed that the hinge-pin 7 is disposedat a considerable inclination from horizontal.

'It will also be noticed that I cut away a portion ofthe entering end of the wing, 10, so that there will always be an opportunity for air to impinge on the inside face of the wing. Were these wings 'made' flat and made to fit closely against the sides of the'weather-vaneno air could enter to start the wing moving upwardly. It will also be seen 'that as the wing'advancesin its movement toward a right-angular position with respect to the body of the Weather-vane (shown in dot and dash lines, Fig. 2), an

increasing area of its inner face is inclinably presented to the Wind,the limit being reached'when the wing, generally, lies in a plane coincident with the line ae-w, Fig. 1,

at degrees from the weather-vane body.

Now the greater the degree of inclination of the hinge-pin 7 from a horizontal position the greater will be the effective force of the wind acting to raise the wing. In

Fig. 1 I show means to vary the angle of inclination of the hinge-pin by the adjustment of the carrier4. In Figs. 6 and 7 I show an alternative method of accomplishing this object without changing the position of the weather-vane by pivotally securing to the latter, by means of the bolt 11, the chan nel plate 12 having hinge-pin'ears 6; and securing to the wing the member 13 having ears 13 adapted to engage the ears 6. The

as a novelty, in connection with weathervanes, the wings, mounted on the body of the figure of a weather-cock, being painted and polished so as to present when in motion and in the sunlight an intermittent flash or reflect-ion of the sunlight to the observer."

Another object contemplates the use of the device as a'motor-vehicle attachment. Mounted on some suitable portion of the vehicle so as to be conspicuously displayed, it may serve not only as an ornamental novelty but also to give a more noticeable and danger-indicating warning to pedestrians of the near approach of a motor-car.

A still further object concerns its employment for advertising purposes. Motion,in mechanical advertising novelties attracts the attention of the passer-by much 'morequickly than does immobility, and by calling the attention of the prospective customer to his wares, the merchant often consummates a sale of hisgoodsw r I have i'llustra ted'my invention in the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference identify similar parts throughout all the different I views in these drawings,- 1 i a Fig. 1 shows the apparatus, in elevation, installed on a weather-vane;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates its application to a motor vehicle;

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are plan and end views, respectively, of a wing, and:

Figs. 6 and 7 show an alternate method of hanging the wing.

In Fig. 1, 1 represents the upper end of a flag staff or a steeple, superimposed on which is fixed a frame 2 in which is journalled the vertical and revoluble shaft- 3. The upper end of this shaft 3 terminates in a yoked end 3' between the forks of which is clamped the carrier 4 for the weather-vane 5,which latter, to conform to a quite prevalent custom is constructed to represent a weathercock.

The carrier 4 may be oscillated on its axis, so that, if desired, the weather-vane can be slightly tilted from its vertical position shown in Fig. 1, and the whole apparatus may, of course, revolve with the shaft 3 in member 13 is adjusted into'any desired posithe hearings in the frame 2. tion by releasing the bolt 14 which is posi- Mounted over and secured to the top of tioned in the arcuate slot 15 and oscillating tus functions in a somewhat less constant manner than it does on the weather-vane, due to the tact that account has to be taken 01 the resulting eflcct of the natural wind force and the acquired pressure accruing from the movement ofthe vehicle. For instance, assume that the vehicle is travelling in the general direction 'from which the wind is blowing; then the natural wind pressure added to that of the acquired pressure caused by the movement of the vehicle will be the total pressure on the wings of the device. But, on the other hand should the motor-car be moving with the wind it would depend on which pressure,the natural or acquired was the greater as to whether there would be any wing movement at all.

And, due to the uncertainty of favorable operating conditions, the advantage of being able to vary the angle of presentment oi the wings to the wind is apparent, for often a very slight change in this angle will be the means of permitting successful wing actuation where otherwise they would fail.

In Fig. 3 the device is shown mounted. on the forward end of a motor-vehicle, and when the latter is in motion the action of the wings somewhat simulates the movements of a bird on the wing. As preveiously stated, it is very efiective especially when no audible signal is given by the motorist,

pedestrian of the approach portion may be made to represent a man or beast instead of a birch-the arms of a man or the ears of an elephant being substituted. for the wings ofthe bird.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, comprising in combination, a central member, representing the major, body portion of an animate object, a side member, representing a minor portion of said animate object, oscillatively connected to and located on each side of said central member and having a. portion of its inner side, at its forward end, cut away, for the purpose oi providing a space betweensaid central and each of said side members at the before mentioned location when said members are at all other adjacent points mutually abutting.

2. In a wind actuated novelty, comprising in combination, a central member, representing the body of a bird, a side member representing a wing thereof, said sidemember located on and oscillatively connected to said centralmember and having a portion of its inner side, at its forward end, cut away,

whereby, when said side member is m normal, at-restposition and at all other points closely abutting said central member, there is provided an opening into and through which the wind may pass to raise said side member, and means whereby the angle of inclination of the axis of said hinge above horizontal may be varied predeterminately.

WALTER P. VINCENT. 1 

